Managing Remote Employees: 4 Steps To Streamline Your Workforce

Ever since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, most companies have successfully adjusted to either partial or full-time work-from-home policy.

And remote employees who had previously worked as freelancers and were somewhat “veterans” of the work-from-home environment needed little training or supervision for this enormous shift as they were already used to working independently from the comfort of their homes. On the other side, new remote employees, including interns and entry-level employees, needed some training and guidance to become accustomed to working remotely at the same time.

In that context, managing entry-level workers and trainees as they transition to a new stage of remote employment comes with its own set of obstacles. For that reason, with this new virtual situation, supervisors must be prepared with tools and methods to help their staff succeed.

Luckily, there are some specific steps and tools that you can use to improve the focus of your remote workers and make both their work and management easier. Here’s how:

Utilize The Latest Remote Employee Management Software

One of the first things you should do is to implement a robust remote employee monitoring software to propel your management efforts. From time-tracking to progress reports and communication tools, there are many options available for employers to make working with a remote team as streamlined as possible.

Moreover, by using project management systems, you can keep track of each team member’s progress on their assigned tasks and collaborate with them in real-time.

Because a remote team is not in the same office together, it is harder to get a feel for the culture that can be created within an organization. For that reason, it’s important for managers to make an effort to connect with their employees through messages, phone calls, or video chats so they can build rapport and relationships that would occur more organically in an office setting.

It is also important to create a workplace culture that allows employees to communicate easily with each other, as this will promote teamwork and allow employees to feel more comfortable asking questions and getting to know one another. Creating a company-wide chat room will help bring your remote workers together.

All of this is easily achievable by employing a good remote employee monitoring software, a tool that can help you supervise their work and help them integrate into your company’s projects.

Check-Ins Should Be Done Regularly

In a traditional office setting, it is easy for managers to see if their employees are hard at work or wasting time. But in a remote setting, it is more difficult to monitor employees’ productivity. For this reason, it’s recommended that remote employees check in with their managers or supervisors on a regular basis.

These regular check-ins will give you a good idea about which of your employees are performing well and which are not pulling their weight. After all, no one wants to have deadwood on their team. These check-ins can be done over video teleconferencing software such as Skype or Google Hangouts. It is much easier to get a sense of how an employee is really doing when you can hear the tone of their voice and observe their body language.

Define Your Work Requirements Precisely

Another challenge of hiring remote employees is the potential for miscommunication. People are often more comfortable talking in person, and it can be difficult to get everyone on the same page with a team that is spread out over a wide geographic area.

To avoid this, make sure to define your work requirements precisely. Every employee should be clear about what they’re supposed to do, and how they’re supposed to do it. Using tools like project management software to assign tasks and track progress can greatly help you if you run into problems along the way, and make sure you have a reliable method of communication so that you can address them as quickly as possible.

Develop A Relationship With Each Person On Your Crew

The last important thing to do when managing remote employees is to develop a meaningful relationship with each person on your crew. Take time out of the day for one-on-one phone and video calls, which can help you learn more about your employee, as well as help you build trust and authority. These calls also offer opportunities to discuss any issues or problems that may be developing in the workplace.

Additionally, it helps to have a dedicated workspace where you can close the door and focus on work without distractions. If there is a possibility and consent, you can also consider visiting your remote employees at their homes to get a better understanding of their work environment. This will give you a chance to see what they are working with, and you may even be able to make recommendations or suggestions that can improve productivity and efficiency.

Finally, don’t forget to celebrate accomplishments and recognize employees for their hard work. Even if team members never meet face-to-face, it’s still important for them to feel like part of a cohesive unit that has a shared goal.

To Sum Up

The workforce is changing, and these changes will affect your company. As online communication continues to grow in popularity, you may find that many of your employees prefer to work from home or out of the office. If you want those employees to feel healthy, efficient, and productive, it is important that you develop a remote employee toolkit and follow an effective workflow for supervising people who are not sitting directly in front of you.